Have you ever come home to complete and mass destruction caused by your dog deciding that his favorite activity for that day would be chewing up everything he could possibly think of? Couch cushions, books, remote controls, shoes and table legs -all innocent victims of what seems like his senseless massacre. Blood rushes to your head and you want to explode, but before you do – take a second and remember that chewing is, unfortunately, a very normal behavior for dogs. It is pleasant for them and provides entertainment. When you allow your dog too much freedom in your home, do not provide enough exercise, or if he is bored, inappropriate chewing is one of the behavioral issues that can occur.

Photo by dlinv
Scolding your dog for the mess after the fact does no good – he really doesn’t have any idea what you are yelling at him about – we promise! In fact, chewing can be induced by stress so your yelling can actually make his chewing habit worse! If you catch your dog or puppy in the act of chewing on something that he shouldn’t, replace it with an appropriate toy and praise him when he starts to chew on that object.

Chewing can be prevented by confining your dog to a puppy proofed space with some safe, appropriate toys to play with (and chew on!). We highly recommend the “Kong Time” for interactive stimulation if you are going to be out for more than a few hours. Crate training is the most effective way to prevent your dog from placing his mouth on items he should not! It will keep your items safe and prevent your pup from ingesting anything that could be dangerous to him as well.